What I read this week

Citation: Woodson, J. (2014). Brown girl dreaming. New York: Nancy Paulsen Books. Summary: This story written in verse is a powerful story of the author growing up during the civil rights movement. Moving from Ohio to South Carolina soon after she was born, Jaqueline only knew the south, except for the stories she was told. After living with her grandfather and grandmother as her secondary care givers, Jaqueline's mom moves her and her three siblings to New York City. Each part of the story is given in detail and the verse is used to convey emotion. My Thoughts: This is what I love about poetry. Like a graphic novel uses pictures and panels to tell a story on another level, the verse style of this autobiography is used to convey an unspoken emotion, or make a spoken emotion deeper. Jaqueline Woodson tells her story as one many can connect to. A unique story in it's own, but full of love, laughter, drama, and tears. Children from 4th grade and up would enjoy ...

Citation: Reeder, A., Montclare, B., & Bustos, N. (2016). Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur: Bff. (Vol.1).  New York: Marvel Worldwide. Summary: Lunella is a science lover and inventor trying to get into a better school. one where she fits in more and where she feels like she belongs; in her current school they call her names like "Moon Girl" and make fun of her love of science. While inventing Lunella creates a "magical doorway" to the past that other humanoids and Devil Dinosaur get through. The dinosaur picks up Lunella and takes her around. Lunella soon realizes the dinosaur isn't trying to harm her but rather play with her. The humanoids try to take her "Nightstone" to get back to where they came from, but the dinosaur saves both Lunella and the "Nightstone." By then, Devil Dinosaur has caused enough trouble and Lunella has begun inventing her own devices to help her save herself that The Hulk comes in to "save" the p...

Citation: Cardillo, M. (2011). Just being Audrey . New York: Balzer + Bay. Summary: This book is the picture book version of Audrey Hepburn. Starting from when she was a child and always looked different and going into her career as an actress and Goodwill Ambassador. Audrey always wanted to be a ballerina, but she never had the right "look". She just kept working hard and "being Audrey," eventually Audrey realized she wasn't going to be a ballerina so she started acting. Acting took her to New York Where she was discovered and became famous. Once Audrey had children they were her focus. Audrey is painted on every page, including many of her classic looks. There is a full bibliography and an official timeline on the last page. My thoughts: This is a great book for parents to introduce Audrey Hepburn to their children, and a good example of a children's biography that is too formatted. the author paints Audrey's personality as it was. A fun bo...

Citation: Aston, D. & Long, S. (2006). An egg is quiet . San Francisco : Chronicle Books. Summary: This is a children's book about eggs. Each page of the book gives information about eggs from the life cycle that takes place inside them to the shapes and sizes of the eggs themselves. Each page has illustrations done scientifically accurately , or noted when they may not be to-size. My thoughts: This is a great informational book for children second grade and older reading on their own, or Kindergarten and older being read to. the book is informational, but still speaks at a child's level of understanding and is eye catching. Quite a fun read. Professional Review: "K-Gr 2-An exceptionally handsome book on eggs, from the delicate ova of the green lacewing to the rosy roe of the Atlantic salmon to the mammoth bulk of an ostrich egg. Aston's simple, readable text celebrates their marvelous diversity, commenting on size, shape, coloration, and where ...

Citation: Zusak, M. (2005) The book thief.  New York : Alfred A. Knopf : Distributed by Random House. Summary: This story is a third person omniscient novel as told by Death. Death tells the story of the book thief, Liesel, who grew up in Nazi Germany. Unlike many novels written about this time, it is not about the concentration camps, though they are mentioned and not glossed over. This is about Liesel, a little girl who lost her family (because her parents were communists and her brother dies on the way there), and was put into the care of Hans and Rosa Hubermann. Liesel's life was pretty simple for a few years, she got a best friend (Rudy) and Hans and Liesel worked on her reading, since she was behind. Then Max comes in the picture. Max is Jewish and the son of the man who saved Hans's life. As the war seems to be progressing it gets more and more dangerous for the Hubermanns to keep Max a secret. My thoughts: What a compelling story. I have read many stories about ...

Citation: Jinks, C. (2008). Evil genius. Boston : Graphia, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Summary: Cadel Piggot is smart. He is smarter than most adults, in fact. So when he figures out how to start using his smarts to cause trouble, the adults finally start to treat him like a problem. First they take away his computer and make him go to therapy. This happens to be a mistake on their part because the therapist is his biological father's right hand man. Cadel's biological father is an world renowned evil genius and wants to ensure that Cadel is smarter than him but grow in his footsteps. With the help of the right hand man, Thaddeus Roth, Cadel develops his skills as an evil genius and is eventually admitted to an undercover evil genius school. My Thoughts: This story, for the most part, is cute and entertaining, however most of the women mentioned in the story are bland, one-note, stereotypical women. This turned me off of the book after a while. I do not think thi...